October 26, 2011

“Make it a stretch; in fact make it a super stretch.” You may not know but Rock 'n' Roller Coaster's limo wasn’t the first super-stretch limo to
hit Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Mickey Mouse also had a limo of his own? Take a look at this beauty.

That’s a 40-foot LiMOUSEine that Mickey Mouse rode while on a 37-city tour promoting the opening of the Disney-MGM
Studios in 1989.

LiMOUSEine’s
features: Four cellular phones, a radio remote DJ booth, two Sony TVs
with VCRs, and four sunroofs. But, the crown gem has to be that hood
ornament: a 24-karat gold-plated Tinker Bell and a lot of pixie
dust!

The LiMOUSEine was also equipped with a Sony RDSS Wayfarer Mobile
Communication System, which allowed Minnie to pinpoint Mickey’s
whereabouts on a personal computer back at home.

October 21, 2011

For the first time, Disneyland Paris
is participating in Paris Plages. This is a 16-foot sand
sculpture of Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Paris Plages is a yearly summer event held in the
heart of Paris where the Seine riverbanks are transformed into a giant
beach.

Seven expert sculptors worked for nearly 300 hours to transform 60
tons of natural sand into our famous castle along the Seine River. Take a
look at their finished work [Click to Enlarge]:

October 20, 2011

Early rising guests at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort can enjoy a parade of over fifty parasol-toting housekeepers on
Mondays and Fridays. The tradition began when the Resort first opened in
1988. The Housekeeping Team members gather at 8 a.m. at the marina and stroll through the Victorian courtyard around the pool.

"This morning (October 3rd, 2011), 5-year-old cousins and resort guests Eva Brackmann and
Rachel Pinne had the honor of leading the colorful procession. Joseph
Brackmann, 7, captures the special moment, sure to be a special one that
will not soon be forgotten."

October 19, 2011

Here’s a shot of the fabulous gingerbread confection that’s the centerpiece of the table in the ballroom in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland park. It may look fancy, but there’s a dark side to all that sweetness and 500 pounds of gingerbread.

The six-foot-tall house is on display through Christmas, thus the “Jack Skellington Meets Santa Claus” theme.

The foundation is wood and wired for animation, then the house goes to the Disneyland Resort
Central Bakery for a 3-week layover to apply more than 500 lbs of
gingerbread, ten yards of fondant and miles of frosting and oversized
candies. Because the six-foot house stays on display through Christmas,
the design is a blend of the holidays, inspired by Jack Skellington and
the animated film, “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.”

“Imagine if Jack Skellington had landed on the Haunted Mansion and
decorated it with his vision of Halloween and Christmas,” says Brian.
“The two holidays collide with pumpkins, freaky presents, a dead
Christmas tree and more.”

This year’s house is more pastel, done with light orange and purple.
But the cuteness gives way to a “freaky twist” when the house opens to
reveal evil teeth, red eyes that light up, a “happy cookie” that
revolves to a “mean cookie.”

There is so much to see in the ballroom scene, says Brian, including
that dead, 25-foot-tall Christmas tree. It takes several trips through
the attraction to take it all in.

Work on the gingerbread house started at the end of 2010, with
construction beginning in spring 2011. Opening day was September 16!

October 18, 2011

Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort is a luxury residential resort community within the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It was designed by Walt Disney Imagineering and will be owned and operated by a newly formed Disney subsidiary, Golden Oak Realty. The development will be located southeast of the Magic Kingdom and Bay Lake. The area was named to pay homage to Walt Disney's Golden Oak Ranch in California.

One of the first community members will be a grandfather
who has been visiting the theme parks with his extended family for
years. His home is amazing. It includes a bedroom and play area for
his seven grandchildren filled with special touches.

Another special Disney touch on the exterior of every Golden Oak home
will be a customized medallion.

This is the first released artist rendering of a Tuscan village courtyard home from June 2010

Golden Oak celebrates the timelessness of Old World and Old Florida
architecture while being attuned to contemporary resort living.
Expressing this enduring statement of design will be four lovely
neighborhoods, with homes starting at $1.4 million.

Once existing only in dreams, this magnificent resort community can now
be your family's destiny. Golden Oak offers first-ever whole ownership
of custom single-family homes at Walt Disney World® Resort—a glorious place to share time together, where the recognizable whistle of the Walt Disney World® Railroad can be heard from the Magic Kingdom® Park.

The story of Golden Oak begins in true once-upon-a time fashion. As a
youth in Missouri, Walt Disney would lie beneath the spreading branches
of his "dreaming tree" and let his imagination run free. It was here
that Walt's
talents for storytelling and fantasy began to take shape into some of
the world's most beloved characters.

Years later, a scenic ranch in California's Placerita Canyon proved an equally inspiring location for filming
segments of The Mickey Mouse Club TV show. Walt Disney Productions purchased portions of the property in
1959 and, over the years, acquired more than 900 acres to reserve its quiet vistas for TV and movie productions
and protect its harmony with nature. In fact, Walt and his family spent time relaxing and playing on the ranch.

The name of this ranch? Golden Oak, in honor of a storied tree there, under which some say gold nuggets
had been found in 1842. From these illustrious origins, the legacy continues with Golden Oak at Walt Disney
World® Resort.

October 14, 2011

"When this little one stood in the doorway, he gave us the reaction
we live for as parents that tells us we just made a dream come true –
his jaw dropped, he gasped and said, “Wow!”

See the sash on the door? It reads “Welcome
Home” on one side and “Member Since” (and the year you became a DVC
member) on the other. You can even bring it back to your Disney resort
each time you visit to let everyone know you’re a member. And those
magical footprints on the floor? They can also serve as computer mouse
pads."

October 13, 2011

"On this special morning, I photographed a darling little girl as she met
Rapunzel for the very first time. Ava was nearing her fifth birthday
(which she spent having breakfast with the princesses inside Cinderella Castle) and her autograph book lacked only one princess – Rapunzel. As a surprise, Ava’s parents took her to the Magic Kingdom
early one morning and walked directly to Fantasyland to make sure she
was first in line to greet Rapunzel. I hope these photographs speak for
themselves."